West Indies to launch new T20 league in 2013 with Caribbean flavour

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will launch a new franchise-based Twenty20 league next year in the Caribbean, filling the hole left by the collapse of Allen Stanford's tournament.

The Stanford 20/20, held in 2006 and 2008, kick-started Caribbean interest in the shortest form of the game but since the collapse of the Texan's financial empire, leading to his imprisonment for fraud, there has been a lack of resources for players.

The West Indies were crowned Twenty20 world champions this year and the WICB has run a lower-key regional tournament to keep top players involved in the shortest format, but the new league promises to give Caribbean cricket a much needed financial boost too.

The WICB said their agreement with Barbados and New York based merchant bank Verus International would ensure annual funding for new retainer contracts for regional players, above and beyond the 20 main squad members who are contracted.

"This will bring a host of benefits to players and West Indies Cricket in general," Stuf.co.nz quoted WICB president Julian Hunte, as saying.

"A significant number of players at the regional level will benefit through greater financial stability both from playing in the league and from year-round retainer contracts while having an international platform on which to showcase their skills and talent," he added.

"Most importantly is that the league will bring a huge financial injection into the Caribbean and create significant job opportunities across the region in a wide cross section of sectors," he said.

The competition is expected to comprise up to six privately owned city-based teams. No details were immediately available on how those franchises would be created or any potential owners. (ANI)